Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Line: Bromford

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed HS2 Bromford tunnel extension, currently the subject of a Transport And Works Act Order, in the Library of the House.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HS2 Ltd proposes to take forward the Bromford tunnel extension under powers provided by the High Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) Act 2017. HS2 Ltd has undertaken an environmental screening assessment which has concluded that there are no new or different significant adverse effects resulting from extending the tunnel, beyond those previously assessed in the Phase One Environmental Statement, which can be found online. By placing more of the route underground, there will be a reduction in environmental effects, including reduced impacts on ancient woodland, Park Hall Nature Reserve and the River Tame. There will also be fewer lorry movements. In order to resolve a potential legal inconsistency, HS2 Ltd has recently applied for a Transport and Works Act Order to remove three words from Schedule 1 of the Act.

High Speed 2 Line: Bromford

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that the (1) noise, (2) dust, and (3) other emissions,from the proposedslurry treatment plant using lime and ferric chloride to process the spoil from the extended HS2 Bromford tunnel, currently the subject of a Transport And Works Act Order application, are (a) fully monitored, and (b) comply with relevant standards as a condition of this work proceeding.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The slurry treatment plant at the Bromford East Portal is subject to an environmental permit application. This permit application sets out how potential impacts associated with noise, dust and vibration will be managed. Once approved, the implementation of this approach, together with the controls set out in the HS2 Code of Construction Practice, will ensure any impacts associated with the activities are appropriately controlled.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Fuel Poverty: Tied Housing

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of fuel poverty for those who live in tied accommodation.

Lord Callanan: The fuel poverty statistics for England include a breakdown by household tenure but it is not possible to identify if households are living in tied accommodation.

Civen

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the third fine levied upon private equity group Cinven by the Competition and Markets Authority on 3 February for NHS price gouging, what plans they have to set up an independent inquiry into the company’s operations.

Lord Callanan: The Competition and Markets Authority’s decisions in respect of liothyronine and hydrocortisone tablets are subject to appeals to the Competition Appeal Tribunal. It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on the matter while these legal proceedings are ongoing.

Fuel Poverty

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their forecast of the impact of the increase in the energy price cap announced by Ofgem 3 February 2022 on levels of fuel poverty.

Lord Callanan: Fuel poverty statistics are updated annually. The next update will be published on 24 February 2022. The report will include data for 2020 on the number of households living in fuel poverty in England and analysis of the composition of fuel poor households, as well as projections of the number of households in fuel poverty in 2021 and 2022. It is Ofgem’s role, as the independent regulator, to set a fair rate for the energy price cap. The price cap will ensure that over 22 million households pay a fair price for their gas and electricity. Support for energy bills is available to eligible households through the Warm home Discount, the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payments. On 3 February, the Government announced a package of support worth £9.1 billion to help domestic energy customers with the cost of rising energy bills. This includes a £150 non-repayable Council Tax rebate in April 2022 to all households in Council Tax Bands A-D, £144 million of discretionary funding for local authorities to support those not eligible for the Council Tax rebate and a £200 discount on energy bills this Autumn for domestic electricity customers’ bills, to be paid back automatically over the next five years.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Procurement

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS hospital services have been put out to procurement in the past year.

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) primary, and (2) community, care services have been put out to tender in the past year.

Lord Kamall: The information requested is not collected centrally. The procurement of hospital, primary care and community services is undertaken at local trust and clinical commissioning group level.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what scientific research informed their decision to end all COVID-19 restrictions in England.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ending of COVID-19 restrictions in England before other areas of the UK.

Lord Kamall: The Government’s decision to end all COVID-19 restrictions in England has been informed by a wide range of scientific research and other evidence. The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-groups provide advice which is used in decisions taken by Ministers, alongside economic, social and deliverability considerations. Recent advice from the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling sub-group has included medium term projections of the trajectory of the pandemic, assuming no future policy or behavioural changes and estimates of the extent to which all measures and behaviour change are currently reducing transmission.Prevalence of COVID-19 in the population remains relatively level and case numbers and hospitalisations are falling. The proportion of infections resulting in hospitalisations is significantly lower than previous waves, with less than one per 100 infections compared to above four per 100 infections during the peak of the Alpha variant. The proportion of hospitalisations requiring the most critical care has remained low throughout the wave of the Omicron variant and has fallen even when infections and hospitalisations increased over the Christmas period. The Omicron variant is less severe and there are now high levels of immunity across the population due to vaccination and natural infection.The Government works with the devolved administrations on the response to COVID-19. However, public health is a devolved matter and each of the devolved administrations determines its own policy with regard to restrictions. Therefore, no assessment of the impact of the ending of COVID-19 restrictions in England before other areas of the United Kingdom has been made.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Disability

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Let Us Learn Too and Disabled Children's Partnership'sThe SEND Money Survey, published on 7 February; and what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) finance, (2) mental health, (3) physical wellbeing, and (4) families with disabled children, from having to pay for specialist support privately.

Baroness Barran: The government recognises that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system does not consistently deliver the outcomes we want and expect for children and young people with SEND, their families, or the people and services who support them. This was highlighted by a SEND Money Survey conducted by Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.The department is conducting a review of SEND provisions in England. This is to ensure that children and young people with SEND get the right support, in the right place, at the right time, to improve outcomes and experiences within a financially sustainable system. The department has met with representatives and organisations, including Let Us Learn Too and the Disabled Children’s Partnership.On 1 February 2022, the government announced more than £45 million of continued targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with SEND over the next three financial years. Additionally, councils will be provided with £30 million to set up more than 10,000 additional respite placements, helping to provide positive opportunities for children and young people with SEND.In March 2021, the government published the mental health recovery action plan. It is backed by an additional £500 million of targeted investment to ensure that there is support in place for this financial year. This support includes £79 million to expand support in children and young people’s mental health services.Education policy is devolved. Therefore, arrangements covering SEND policy and provision in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Government.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Females

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Prison Reform Trust report Safe Homes for Women Leaving Prison, published in October 2020, particularly the recommendation that official data should account for women falling into "hidden homelessness" after leaving prison.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We welcome the findings from the Safe Homes for Women Leaving Prison report and while there is no specific recommendation regarding “hidden homelessness”, we recognise the importance of consistent data as referenced within the report.To ensure consistent and accurate data recording, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), in collaboration with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) and the Welsh Government, has recently updated the Accommodation Recording Guidance to ensure probation regions have a clear and consistent understanding of the accommodation status definitions, and how to record accurately. The Guidance defines homelessness as where an individual is rough sleeping, squatting, residing in night shelters, emergency hostels or campsites.Data on accommodation outcomes for supervised prison leavers disaggregated by gender is currently recorded and published in the Community Performance Annual, update to March 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).The Target Operating Model for probation services in England and Wales, published in February 2021, included a target on the number of individuals being housed on release from custody (90%), and a target concerning settled accommodation for all supervised individuals (those released from prison and those on community sentences) three months after commencement of their supervision (80%).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Sugg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average purchase price for the 30 million COVID-19 vaccine doses donated to developing countries in 2021.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: By the end of 2021, we met our goal of donating 30 million AstraZeneca doses by the end of the year, benefiting over 30 countries, as part of our G7 pledge to donate 100 million doses by June 2022. The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Secretariat has now provided guidance for reporting donations of excess COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021 in ODA. The UK is considering this guidance together with our other commitments and obligations, and is actively engaging with the OECD's DAC Secretariat on valuing Covid-19 vaccines in Official Development Assistance in 2021.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Sugg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost that they will be reporting to the OECD Development Assistance Committee for COVID-19 vaccine donations to developing countries in 2021.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The DAC Secretariat has now provided guidance for reporting donations of excess COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021 in ODA. The UK is considering this guidance together with our other commitments and obligations, and is actively engaging with the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Secretariat on valuing Covid-19 vaccines in Official Development Assistance in 2021.

Afghanistan: BBC World Service

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with BBC World about the employment of staff evacuated from Afghanistan from Persian, Afghan, Uzbek, Media Action, and BBC Monitoring services; and what steps they will take to encourage BBC World to retain the services of those staff.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the Government, and the Government has no role in matters relating to the employment of staff at the BBC.

International Organization for Migration and UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 31 January (HL5440), whether they are encouraging the maximum possible co-operation between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and theInternational Organization for Migration (IOM).

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is a strong supporter of both the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). We continuously encourage all our UN humanitarian partners to work closely together for maximum impact and efficiency. This includes through the use of performance based core funding, which incentivises the collective performance of the UN Humanitarian Agencies.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the research report, The Uses of Health and Disability Benefit, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions now that it has been published by the Work and Pensions Committee on the 3 February 2022; and, if so, when they plan to do this.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Protecting a private space for policy development has always been an important factor in the formation of Government policy. We are currently considering a range of policy options for changes to health and disability benefits and support, reflecting on the 2021 Green Paper and subsequent consultation. As part of this, we will regularly draw on a wide range of evidence, research and analysis. We plan to officially publish the research as soon as we can once policy development work has concluded and therefore publish it alongside the Health and Disability White Paper.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Livestock

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is theirpolicy on kept farm animals; and what steps they intend to take to assist livestock production.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: All farm animals are protected by comprehensive and robust animal health and welfare legislation. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence either to cause any captive animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of the animal. This is supplemented by detailed legislation to protect the welfare of livestock while on farm, as well as legislation to protect animal welfare during transport and at slaughter. Defra works closely with the livestock sector to encourage a productive, efficient and profitable sector. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway will push forward and support the gradual and continual improvement in farm animal health and welfare. The pathway is a critical part of the farming reforms set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan, delivering benefits for animal health and welfare, farm productivity, food security, public health, UK trade and the environment. It does this by financially rewarding farmers who deliver public goods, stimulating market demand for higher welfare products and strengthening the regulatory baseline.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Travellers: Hate Crime

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for specific legislation to protect Gypsies, Roma and Travellers from hate crimes.

Lord Greenhalgh: We have one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world to protect communities from hostility, violence and bigotry, and to deal with the perpetrators of hate crime. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are currently protected under these existing laws.We asked the Law Commission to conduct a review into the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislation. We are grateful to the Law Commission for the detailed consideration it has given to its review of hate crime laws and we will consider its proposals carefully and respond to the recommendations in due course. We are also bringing forward legislation on our plans to tackle online harms – through the Online Safety Bill – which will set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe.The Government will publish a new hate crime strategy in due course, which will include tackling racial hate crime, to help stamp out the abhorrent crimes that harm victims and their communities. We have sought views from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community representatives in the development of this new strategy.

Northern Ireland Office

Football: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for ministers to meet (1) the Northern Ireland Football League, and (2) the Irish Football Association, to discuss the funding of sub-regional stadia.

Lord Caine: The sub-regional stadia programme is a devolved matter for which the Executive is responsible. I understand the Northern Ireland Communities Minister recently met local representatives to discuss the funding of the programme.